Personal Reflection

The 356 Marketing course was my actual first step into the mad world of online marketing and advertising. Nagging questions regarding the presence and workings of online banner ads were duly addressed and understood. This effectively simplified the complex systems at play, with regards to implementing a successful marketing campaign.My first test is in this area came with the Assignment requiring that I critique an advertising campaign. Simple enough, I applied the theoretical knowledge that I had acquired from lectures and mercilessly hacked down two online campaigns with my critiquing sword of justice. Verbal cunning aside, the task enabled me to practice and apply my expertise and in doing so I was exposed to a multitude of campaigns and varying styles of advertising.

Now, with two critiques under my belt, I was assigned the task of creating my own marketing campaign. For my undertaking, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of creating my own fictional company along with a logo, skyscraper, banner, and button ad. The exposure to various campaigns, as a result of assignment 1, allowed me to mix and match strategies, according to which I felt to be most appropriate. I implemented prior knowledge of flash design in order to visually create and design my ads. I was able to apply the course’s teachings in deciding on various integral aspects of my ad, from color and letter spacing to how I was to expect to generate revenue through various forms of PPC. The lectures also encouraged me to take the readers emotions and perspectives into account, and I designed my ad according to the actions which I wanted to induce from my audience along with elements of personal selling, brand awareness etc.


The final project involved myself teaming up with three others in order to design and implement a marketing campaign. Although our scope for imagination was limited given that the client, in this case, was real and had actual instructions and guidelines. It was refreshingly different to work on something significant, and which had all the necessary facts and numbers to qualify it as a genuine marketing campaign. My skills were effectively utilized and channeled towards our common objectives, and we succeeded in implementing an effective strategy which adheres to all the needs and requirements of our clients.